News & Events

MPA Elite Women 2017 Award Winners

We are very proud of the leadership at Stearns—and we’re thrilled when others recognize our team members for their accomplishments. We’re pleased to share that MPA magazine recently announced that four of our leaders have been chosen as Elite Women 2017 award winners.

These remarkable leaders are being honored for their professional accomplishments, as well as their achievements outside the industry. Together, their talents and dedication provide great momentum for our organization. The entire Stearns family congratulates these women!

Lola O’Mallan
Vice President of Operations, Walnut Creek, CA

Lola O’Mallan has been with Stearns since 2007. During her tenure, she led her team to a five-fold increase in units funded during the first year of the Regional Operations Center she was tasked with opening—and it remains the top producing ROC with Stearns. She has been, and continues to be, called upon for many initiatives and pilot programs for our organization, with her expertise frequently sought by Stearns’ senior management. Prior to joining Stearns, O’Mallan held various positions in the industry, including retail branch manager, closing manager, and operations manager.


Suzy Lindblom
Managing Director, National Fulfillment

With more than 30 years of leadership and management experience in mortgage banking, Suzy Lindblom has senior management and oversight responsibilities for all loan fulfillment activities in Stearns Lending’s multiple production channel business model. Under her leadership, National Fulfillment funded a record-breaking $17+ billion in 2016, while maintaining quality in both credit and compliance. Lindblom is among the industry’s leading experts on credit risk management, loss mitigation, post-closing services and regulatory compliance.
 

Sarah Batangan
Senior Vice President, Strategic Business Operations

Sarah Batangan joined Stearns in 2014, bringing more than 15 years of mortgage lending operations experience, including expertise with in-house systems, processes and loan origination system technologies. In 2016, she led the correspondent operations team to a record funding year that saw originations reach $7.3 billion. Batangan serves as a Women-for-Women International sponsor, helping instill economic self-sufficiency skills in women who move from war conflicted countries to stable environments.
 

Mellissa L. Bresch
Vice President, Fulfillment Operations, Pittsburgh, PA

Mellissa Bresch currently serves as VP of fulfillment operations for Stearns. In 2016, Bresch’s teams were responsible for fulfillment of nearly 17% of Stearns’ entire wholesale channel funding. She has been instrumental in creating a ROC culture that has resulted in achieving one of the highest retention rates in the organization. Bresch has a special place in her heart for helping others, which spills over to her involvements outside mortgage work, such as helping those in need of treatment at The Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. She organized a contest for her teams to join as a charitable donation effort for the hospital.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations and appreciation to these women for their dedication and commitment to the mortgage industry!